It is sad reading through the comments in this blog daily where well-educated Kenyans are still thinking in terms of PNU and ODM (and the gods they worship, namely Kibaki and Raila) when the vast majority of Kenyans have already moved on. More so when it looks like even most legislators have moved away from those tribal groupings as was seen yesterday in parliament. The 10th parliament sprung a stunning surprise that left many puzzled and those who understood the implications dumbfounded.
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Kumekucha titbits: This is a new feature offering our readers useful titbits of information on every subject under the sun. Did you know that a whooping 60% of companies that lose their data close down within 6 months of the disaster? And that re-creating data from scratch is estimated to cost between $2,000 and $8,000 per MB? Did you also know that we have pretty competent world class data recovery experts in Kenya?
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Despite the fact that President Kibaki spent a lot of time on Wednesday with the MPs lobbying for the bill to enact a special tribunal to try post election perpetrators locally, his efforts and those of Prime Minister Raila Odinga did not bear fruit. Interestingly MPs say that this was their way of replying to the president's "slap in their face" of re-appointing former Finance Minister Amos Kimunya to the cabinet despite the fact that issues surrounding his resignation are yet to be resolved.
In a smart move legislators used a simple technicality to block all efforts to fast-track the bill meaning that the country will miss today's deadline. Which means that the case is headed to the Hague (Read the full story here).
Of great interest are the new political re-alignments that are now emerging and more interestingly the motivation behind them. Despite being the person who moved the bill, Justice Minister Martha Karua obviously has a lot to gain if Uhuru Kenyatta is charged at the Hague and maybe convicted. It was difficult to miss the smirk on her face when Legislator Gitobu Imanyara blocked her bid to fast-track the bill through parliament. Everybody knows that Martha is a fighter and ordinarily would have at least protested. She did not even whimper.
Many other legislators who had nothing to do with the post-election troubles have a lot to gain by blocking the bill and causing all the suspects to end up at the Hague. It will obviously eliminate a lot of the competition for their grand ambitions.
I doubt whether most of the political class conecerned slept well last night. You see the game plan was to have a local tribunal and then intimidate all the witnesses from coming to give evidence (already a number of key Waki witnesses have received death threats). Now it seems that the Hague beckons for sure.
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Kumekucha titbits: Did you know that corporate team building programmes have been known to turn around previously loss-making companies the world over?
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Chief mediator Kofi Annan can of course save the situation by extending the deadline. However if he does so it will look like he is favouring the powerful political class and reducing the chances of ordinary Kenyans ever getting real justice on this rather painful issue. And to make matters worse the bill tabled in parliament had been "doctored" by some of the chief suspects themselves to favour themselves especially those who are cabinet ministers. So Mr Annan will be greatly endangering his image and reputation by lifting a finger to interefere with the natural course of justice that has already been set in motion. But lets wait and see what happens.
The other point that Kenyans should note is that their government moves at the pace of a snail (maybe slower), even when it is to save themselves. Why did it take so long to bring this bill to parliament? I mean the idea was to pass it yesterday when the deadline is today. Surely if somebody is so slow when saving themselves from a fire, how fast can you expect them to be when dealing with the problems of the country? Little wonder that Kenya is in such a mess. The whole lot PNU, ODM, Raila, Kibaki must go home NOW. We need fresh elections NOW!!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Will Tribunal Bill Hoodwink Kenyans Once Again?
There is a friend who keeps telling me that the glue keeping the grand coalition government together is called “corruption.”
There have been numerous instances to prove this statement 1000% correct. But there is something else that also makes politicians across the political divide stick together like brothers. It is "fear" and especially fear of a place called the Hague.
In a few hours time a crucial bill, and indeed the reason why parliament was recalled earlier than the traditional March, is set to be tabled in the august house. We all know that the president never leaves the cozy confines of State House unless he has a very good reason to do so. So it is very telling that yesterday he was in a special meeting with MPs to drum up support for the bill that our political class hope will help them avoid the Hague.
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Kumekucha titbits: Did you know that corporate team building programmes have been known to turn around previously loss-making companies the world over?
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However there is a small problem. Sources assure me that subtle changes have been made and some crucial Waki recommendations set aside in the final bill which was published late last night. One of them is that cabinet ministers who are named as suspects will now NOT need to step aside and will remain in office until proven guilty. For what? Well the answer is simple. So that they can continue fleecing the treasury with their corrupt deals to enable them pay the hefty legal fees and other expenses like “oiling” the right hands so that the charges and Hague goes away. It is that simple.
-------------------------00000000000
Kumekucha titbits: This is a new feature offering our readers useful titbits of information on every subject under the sun. Did you know that a whooping 60% of companies that lose their data close down within 6 months of the disaster? And that re-creating data from scratch is estimated to cost between $2,000 and $8,000 per MB? Did you also know that we have pretty competent world class data recovery experts in Kenya?
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Interestingly when the president was drumming up support amongst legislators yesterday he pledged that he and Raila would drop cabinet ministers who are named as suspects of the post election violence until they are cleared. This "gentleman’s agreement" reminds me of another gentleman’s agreement which the president ignored in the run up to the last general elections. Despite widespread complaints he went ahead and picked members of the Electoral commission all by himself, including his own family lawyer for many years who ended up as Samuel Kivuitu’s deputy chair.
The president’s actions seem to confirm that indeed the piece of legislation being debated in a few hours time does not contain that important clause making it mandatory for those named to step aside. Which means that this will be left to the discretion of the president, who has promised… blah blah.
Give me a break!!!
How many promises has this president broken? Starting with his cry for zero tolerance to corruption which I personally heard him say live at a small meeting near the University of Nairobi that I attended shortly before the 2002 elections.
To be honest at this rate I don’t see how our fat cats will avoid the Hague.
MPs we are watching you. DO NOT vote for this "doctored" document.
See also:
The heated debate over ministers remaining in office until proven guilty
Attempt to shield security chief fails
How can Nakumatt Downtown burn in broad daylight? Kenyans ask as relatives say loved ones who were around the supermarket are still missing.
There have been numerous instances to prove this statement 1000% correct. But there is something else that also makes politicians across the political divide stick together like brothers. It is "fear" and especially fear of a place called the Hague.
In a few hours time a crucial bill, and indeed the reason why parliament was recalled earlier than the traditional March, is set to be tabled in the august house. We all know that the president never leaves the cozy confines of State House unless he has a very good reason to do so. So it is very telling that yesterday he was in a special meeting with MPs to drum up support for the bill that our political class hope will help them avoid the Hague.
-------------------------00000000000
Kumekucha titbits: Did you know that corporate team building programmes have been known to turn around previously loss-making companies the world over?
============================
However there is a small problem. Sources assure me that subtle changes have been made and some crucial Waki recommendations set aside in the final bill which was published late last night. One of them is that cabinet ministers who are named as suspects will now NOT need to step aside and will remain in office until proven guilty. For what? Well the answer is simple. So that they can continue fleecing the treasury with their corrupt deals to enable them pay the hefty legal fees and other expenses like “oiling” the right hands so that the charges and Hague goes away. It is that simple.
-------------------------00000000000
Kumekucha titbits: This is a new feature offering our readers useful titbits of information on every subject under the sun. Did you know that a whooping 60% of companies that lose their data close down within 6 months of the disaster? And that re-creating data from scratch is estimated to cost between $2,000 and $8,000 per MB? Did you also know that we have pretty competent world class data recovery experts in Kenya?
============================
Interestingly when the president was drumming up support amongst legislators yesterday he pledged that he and Raila would drop cabinet ministers who are named as suspects of the post election violence until they are cleared. This "gentleman’s agreement" reminds me of another gentleman’s agreement which the president ignored in the run up to the last general elections. Despite widespread complaints he went ahead and picked members of the Electoral commission all by himself, including his own family lawyer for many years who ended up as Samuel Kivuitu’s deputy chair.
The president’s actions seem to confirm that indeed the piece of legislation being debated in a few hours time does not contain that important clause making it mandatory for those named to step aside. Which means that this will be left to the discretion of the president, who has promised… blah blah.
Give me a break!!!
How many promises has this president broken? Starting with his cry for zero tolerance to corruption which I personally heard him say live at a small meeting near the University of Nairobi that I attended shortly before the 2002 elections.
To be honest at this rate I don’t see how our fat cats will avoid the Hague.
MPs we are watching you. DO NOT vote for this "doctored" document.
See also:
The heated debate over ministers remaining in office until proven guilty
Attempt to shield security chief fails
How can Nakumatt Downtown burn in broad daylight? Kenyans ask as relatives say loved ones who were around the supermarket are still missing.
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